Long-play video tape cassette

Abstract

A long-play video tape cassette, adaptable for use in currently manufactured video tape players having cassette receivers of restricted imension. The subject cassette includes a tongue receivable in such tape player receiver and an enlarged portion for mounting a pair of operative reels. The cassette therefore will take the form of an L or T configurement. Reels are remotely driven by gear means keyed to the customary spindle receivers or sockets, and a series of guide, tensioning and constraining means are used to ensure that the video tape operates properly.

I claim: 
     
       1. For a video tape player having a planar surface and an inwardly directed rectangular slot disposed normal to said surface, a long-play video tape cassette including, in combination, a housing having an enlarged portion and a lateral essentially rectangular tongue extending therefrom and provided with a tape sensing window, said enlarged portion and said lateral tongue having proximate, planar, outer surfaces forming essentially a 90° inside angle, whereby said planar surface of said enlarged portion may be disposed parallel to and proximate said housing and said planar surface thereof; a pair of video tape reels journalled in said enlarged portion for operative movement; first means mounted in said lateral tongue for driving said reels; and second means for routing the video tape of said reels up to and past said window, said reels being provided video tape. 
     
     
       2. The video tape cassette of claim 1 wherein said first means comprises a pair of mutually spaced, rotatable spindle sockets secured for revolvement within said housing and accessible for video tape player drive, and third means intercoupling said spindle sockets with said reels. 
     
     
       3. The video tape cassette of claim 2 wherein each of said spindle sockets and reels include a respective, keyed gear portion, said third means comprising a pair of gear belts respectively engaging a respective one of said gear portions of a respective reel with a respective portion of a respective spindle socket, one of said gear belts being proximate said inside angle. 
     
     
       4. The structure of claim 1 wherein said housing includes a series of internal, vertically journalled rollers for guiding video tape from said reels into and through said tongue portion past said window. 
     
     
       5. The structure of claim 1 wherein said housing is provided with at least one, outwardly arcuate, low friction leaf means for constraining outwardly said video tape past said window. 
     
     
       6. The combination of claim 1 wherein said housing is provided with a pair of video tape constraining leaf means for properly engaging and thereby constraining said video tape for proper movement proximate and past said window. 
     
     
       7. The combination of claim 1 wherein said housing is provided with a pair of vertically journalled rollers guiding video tape towards said window, and spring means extending between said rollers for impinging and thereby taking up any slack present in said video tape. 
     
     
       8. The structure of claim 1 wherein said first means include a pair of externally engageable spindle sockets and means for loosely mounting said spindle sockets to said housing for spindle alignment and socket rotation.